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30 April 2014

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde continued their introductory visits, traveling to Sweden to meet with King Carl Gustaf, Queen Silvia, and the Swedish royal family. For video from the meeting, click here.

Perhaps I've been spoiled by Mathilde's parade of hats and special outfits for these introductory visits, but this one seems...exceptionally normal. I'm feeling rather meh about the whole situation. Well, apart from the fact that I think her dress, which I assume is Natan, is trying to hypnotize me. It's a little Magic Eye-esque, no? Victoria's in repeated Chanel (runway, far right above), which just seems a little stiff to me. (She is back in heels though, so that's a good sign!)

Take #2 comes right away, as Norway is next up on the Belgian agenda.Photos: Kungahuset.se/SVT

29 April 2014

Video: Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik hosted a dinner for the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, an event focusing on sustainability in fashion.

I have something of a weakness for a great LWD (that would be a Little White Dress), and this one's just right. It's from Danish designer David Andersen and it is, appropriately enough, a sustainable design. It has such beautiful, delicate detailing on the bodice, just a touch of sheer on the skirt to keep the bottom half interesting, and it's styled just right with statement earrings and loose hair. It might not be major enough for jumpy claps, but claps (you know, regular ones) are still in order.

28 April 2014

The Dutch royal family celebrated Koningsdag, or King's Day (formerly Queen's Day, the annual celebration of the monarch's birthday), over the weekend. Queen Máxima wore a Natan dress with a hat from Fabienne Delvigne. The three princesses wore Pili Carrera outfits.

This is a jolly little outfit for a jolly occasion, is it not? Máxima's dress is embellished with metallic pieces which pick up the sunlight, a wonderful touch for an outdoor occasion. Could have done without the donut hat (or is that more of a cronut?), but honestly - that's what makes it Máx.

Coat: Nicely swingy. Hat: ....present. Brooch: Best bit. Maybe not the brooch some of you were hoping for, but one that has a good deal more meaning for this particular occasion. It was given to her the previous night by Emma, wife of Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith, one of the holders of the Victoria Cross for Australia. A lovely gesture to wear it, and I hope we see it at future remembrance events.

And then they went home, and then this part of the world went to bed.

This is our final post of the trip - you're probably either suffering from Wills n' Kate fatigue or, on the other side of the coin, are about to go into withdrawal as the Cambridges return to a normal schedule. Either way, it's time for your final assessment: What was your favorite tour outfit? For me, I'm sticking to the poppies.

24 April 2014

Most of the tiaras we cover here are known for their association with royalty or nobility, but this one's a little different: it's known because of its association with Hollywood royalty. It was given to Elizabeth Taylor by her third husband, Mike Todd, in 1957. The tiara dates from around 1880 and is made of old mine-cut diamonds mounted in platinum and gold in a design that includes central scroll motifs topped by single diamonds and separated by latticework.

Mike Todd was a theater and film producer who was married to Taylor for just over a year - from February 1957 to March 1958, when he tragically died in a plane crash in New Mexico. Taylor later wrote that when he presented her with the tiara the year they married, he said, "You're my queen, and I think you should have a tiara." He lavished jewels on Taylor during their time together, from the 29.4 carat diamond engagement ring she referred to as her "skating rink" to the Cartier ruby and diamond set he gave her while she was lounging in the pool wearing this very tiara.

More gifts from Todd: Diamond earrings, and a ruby set from Cartier

She wore them all, sporting the tiara for the first time at the 1957 Academy Awards, where Todd's film Around the World in 80 Days won Best Picture. She also wore it at the Cannes Film Festival that same year and at events after Todd's death as well. It didn't matter that tiaras weren't particularly fashionable at many of the events she would attend - she wore it, and she made it look right at home.

Video: Taylor in the tiara at the Oscars with Mike Todd. At the end, footage from his funeral is shown.

The Taylor jewelry collection was auctioned after her death, with a portion of the proceeds going towards her AIDS foundation. The now-famous auction was held in December 2011, and included the Mike Todd Diamond Tiara. It carried an estimated price of just $60,000 - $80,000, but bidders were enthusiastic throughout the sale and in the end the tiara sold for $4,226,500. Its current whereabouts are unknown.

Would you have sprung for this tiara? Assuming you had a few spare million sitting around, of course...

Video: The Spanish royal family attended a lunch for the Cervantes Award. Letizia wore a black and white Felipe Varela dress with beaded detail on the skirt.

Here's something I don't get to say very often: the nude shoe is an interesting choice. Most would have gone with a straight black pump. (Me, a Shoe Person, would have gone for something with a little more interest all around, but I can't argue with this.) Another interesting detail: this isn't a skirt plus a top, it's a dress, as you can see clearly in the video above. Which might have pushed me from the Like category into the Ehhhh...Maybe Not category. Your verdict?

23 April 2014

Video: The Cambridges visited Elizabeth (the suburb, named for the Queen) as the Australian leg of their tour continued.

Time for another drive-by peek at the royal tour! Simply put: this is pretty. Soft pink separates, with a v-neck and a bit of fullness in the skirt to add some interest. And McQueen, so obviously impeccably fit. Lovely. Here's a look from the Daily Mail.

The day before, they visited Uluru, where Kate arrived in a Roksanda Ilincic dress hilariously similar - but different - from one she already owns. Later, she brought back a dress from Hobbs that I have always liked and wore a necklace given to her while there. Here's a piece from PopSugar.

22 April 2014

For those familiar with the way the Spanish royals mark Easter, this is nothing new. Apart from being one of the occasions during the year when we get to see Leonor and Sofia it remains, sartorially speaking, an everyday occasion. I like Letizia's outfit here, actually; I do like her take on cropped trousers and heels, though I think the skinny belt on the jacket shown on the mannequin might have helped. Anyway, the average-ness of the thing makes Queen Sofia's egg necklace, an Easter standard, an automatic standout. Maybe I'll whip up one with chocolate eggs for myself next year. Never know when you'll need a snack.

21 April 2014

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Brisbane and RAAF Base Amberley during their Australian tour. The Duchess was in an L.K. Bennett dress with a clutch from Australian brand Oroton.

I take back what I said about the banana - this is my favorite one so far. It's not only lovely (why yes, I do love her in a simple shift with a strong color to it), it's exceptionally well chosen: they visited an Air Force base, so blue was appropriate, and it has a poppy print, poppies being a special symbol of remembrance. Loving it from top to bottom.

18 April 2014

The Prince and Princess of Wales at a black tie event during their tour of Australia in 1985.

I really try and use the word "iconic" as sparingly as I can - it's so painfully overdone these days - but I think this is an occasion to drop it, because this is one of the most iconic uses of jewelry in the past few decades of royal history. Emerald jewelry was the choice to complement this green gown from the Emanuels, a one-shouldered, low-waisted silk satin organza dress dotted with sparkles. These were some of Diana's more valuable jewels: the Art Deco Emerald and Diamond Choker (click for a detailed history from the Jewel Vault) which was a lifetime loan from the Queen as a wedding gift, and emerald and diamond earrings which were a 22nd birthday present from Charles.

Video: The event starts at :45.

She opted to use the necklace as a bandeau across her forehead, reportedly because she had a sunburn on her neck, and the appearance instantly became memorable. Memorable, yes, but successful...hmm. It's a strange meeting of the 1980s and the 1920s and 30s, when the bandeau was truly in style. Would you classify this appearance as a success?

The Ocean Tiara was a wedding gift from Prince Albert II of Monaco to his bride, Charlene Wittstock, for their 2011 nuptials. It was made by Van Cleef & Arpels, an official supplier to the Principality. A necklace that can be worn as a tiara, it was designed especially for Charlene. In honor of her background as a swimmer that went from the coasts of South Africa to the coast of Monaco, the necklace is composed of circular elements that evoke the water and foam of the ocean through more than 1,200 gemstones and more than 70 carats total.

Video: The making of the tiara, including a look at how it converts from tiara to necklace by popping each element out of the frame.

The water is depicted with 359 sapphires, chosen in three shades to create a gradation that represents the differences in ocean colors around the world. The sapphires are positioned so that they are at the bottom of the central circle when the piece is worn as a necklace – this seems to be how it is intended to be worn most of the time, as this is how the ocean motif is the most accurate – but they are at the top when worn as a tiara, meaning they stay out of the hair. (A valuable feature, considering the sapphires are pretty subtle overall.) The sea foam is depicted with white diamonds, as is the straight line base of the piece. There are more than 850 diamonds here, with a total weight of 44 carats. In the center of the largest circles sits a pear-shaped diamond representing a water droplet; these 11 stones are the biggest diamonds in the piece, the largest one weighing more than 4 carats alone.

Despite the fact that it was made for her, it has scarcely been seen in use since it was made. It has, however, been on display on several occasions and in different locations. Princess Charlene first wore it as a necklace to the Red Cross Ball in 2011, just after her wedding. She has also been seen in a pair of drop earrings which are clearly part of a set with the necklace/tiara, containing a matching ocean circle at the bottom.

Seeing the tiara in use emphasizes just how Charlene this piece is – it is extremely well suited to its owner. Despite all its swirling features, the separation of the elements into distinct circles creates a clean line which suits the lines of the clothing Princess Charlene tends to pick. It is unmistakably modern and off the traditional path, which also happens to suit Charlene’s sartorial selections. In fact, the only rather un-Charlene thing about this is its very nature: it is a grand piece of jewelry, and she has opted out of grand jewels on more than one occasion, tending towards simplicity. It doesn’t top my list of personal favorites (I prefer the traditional, when it comes to tiaras), but I hope in time it will become an often-worn favorite of the Princess.

Video: Queen Margrethe celebrated her 74th birthday with her family at Marselisborg Palace.

Here's a coordinated family for you: red on the Queen, carrying through in sweaters for some of the little ones, Frederik's trousers, Joachim's tie, and coordinating neutrals for most everyone else.

While the birthday girl is at her Daisy best, the one that catches my eye is Grandpa Henrik. Yes! While we enjoy the Tour of a Thousand Blue Suits from Prince William, Henrik veers to the total opposite end of the spectrum in his striped tie, checked shirt, and contrasting blazer and trousers. A smorgasbord of standard menswear patterns. And you know what? It works. He's a breath of fresh air sometimes, and I mean that most sincerely.

16 April 2014

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with Prince George, arrived in Australia for the next leg of their tour.

Yellow - for wattle, for sunshine, for half of the green and gold Australia color combo - was an easy guess for arrival in Australia, but the Duchess might have surprised you with her designer: Roksanda Ilincic, a London-based Serbian designer. She's worn Ilincic before, of course, but we'll have to wait for an Australian designer to take the stage (and it will certainly be only a matter of time). This label has done quite a bit with yellow lately, bright and cheery color blocking all over the place, so perhaps the surprise isn't that surprising after all. As for this dress, yellow with blocks of white at the bottom and on the sleeves - LOVE. Easily my pick for best outfit of the tour. So far.

The retail version available here from Roksanda Ilincic. The colors have been reversed and the bell sleeve reduced (an excellent change!), and the neckline opened up for the Duchess.

15 April 2014

This printed skirt, from Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti, is a few years old and we've seen Mary in it a bunch of times. Each time, she manages to put a new twist on it - but I have to say, this particular version might not be my favorite. I KNOW. She plays up the purple and does up her hair all purty, and I...am not that fond of it? I might be ill. Send tiaras and chocolate.

This dress gives me a bit of déjà vu, and for good reason - we've seen it in pink in the past. My favorite Emilia Wickstead? Nah. But I am in love with this color, and would take it any day over the pink.

11 April 2014

Video: The Prince of Wales married Camilla Parker Bowles on April 9, 2005.

Charles and Camilla are celebrating their wedding anniversary this week, and that means there's no better time to revisit Camilla's excellent wedding wear - both flattering and appropriate. It's also time to coordinate your visits to the V&A Museum in London, because the Duchess of Cornwall has loaned her gown for an upcoming exhibition! I'm absolutely dying to see it for myself, since those subtle gold touches are certainly better appreciated in person.

Wedding dresses 1775-2014 runs from May 3, 2014 to March 15, 2015. If you go, do report back!

10 April 2014

Though they are well known for making all manner of bejeweled objects, a tiara made by Fabergé is actually a pretty rare thing. They're hard to find, but once identified the delicate detail and high quality craftsmanship is easy to spot. One such example is this tiara of diamonds mounted in silver and gold, made around 1890 by master craftsman August Holmström (1829-1903). Holmström and his son Albert were responsible for much of the Fabergé jewelry made in their time. Graduated arches of old-cut diamonds resting on a diamond band are separated by large individual collet diamonds. Suspended from each arch is a pendant culminating in a large diamond, a pear-shaped stone in the center with a combination of briolette and old-cut diamonds to the sides. The band and the pendants include touches of foliate design, adding just enough flow to soften the hard points of the arches. It's probably best known today as the Empress Joséphine Tiara despite the fact that Joséphine died decades before the tiara was made. It's gone by other names too, such as the Leuchtenberg Diamond Tiara, and it's a hard one to pin down - the tiara has bounced from one owner to the next but didn't really make a mark until it came up for public sale. Nevertheless, the story begins with Empress Joséphine.

Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763-1814) was the first wife of Napoleon I. They divorced in 1810 and Joséphine lived at the Château de Malmaison, where her visitors included Alexander I of Russia (1777-1825). The briolette-cut diamonds that rest today in this Fabergé tiara were given to Joséphine by the Tsar on one of his visits (some say as payment for some artwork, though he was also known to present her with gifts). They were high-quality diamonds, of exceptional clarity and size, and were passed down to her son Eugène de Beauharnais (1781-1824), who became the Duke of Leuchtenberg when he married Princess Augusta of Bavaria.

The tiara in its box, on a model, and one of the briolettes in close up

The briolette-cut diamonds went to Eugène and Augusta's youngest son, Prince Maximilian (1817-1852), who inherited the Duke of Leuchtenberg title. Maximilian married the eldest daughter of Tsar Nicholas I, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, bringing the heritage of these diamonds full circle. They were included in the making of this tiara around 1890, and the diadem stayed in the Leuchtenberg family until it was sold in Switzerland after World War I. The sale sent it into the hands of a new royal family: the Belgians. King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth bought it and gave it to their younger son Prince Charles, Count of Flanders (1903-1983). Charles left the tiara to his sister, Queen Marie José of Italy (1906-2001), and she in turn left it to her daughter Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy. Despite this long history the tiara was fairly unknown and, at least in recent decades, seems to have remained unworn. It's really not so surprising that it next made its way to the auction block.

Video, above

Christie's auctioned the tiara in 2007. Surpassing initial estimates of $788,800 - $1,183,200, it sold for a whopping $2,071,389, the value due not only to the history and the large size and high quality of the individual diamonds, but to the Fabergé mark. As I said before, a Fabergé tiara is rare - and this one was scooped up by a Fabergé collector. The McFerrin Collection, owned by American collectors Dorothy and Artie McFerrin of Texas, is one of the most important private collections of Fabergé objects. They now count this tiara among their treasures, and have placed it (and plenty of other items) on extended loan to the Houston Museum of Natural Science for exhibit. A can't-miss, if you should happen to pass through Houston.

Video: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge laid a wreath at the Blenheim War Memorial during their tour of New Zealand.

Hey, look at that - Kate took that coat Sophie wore earlier this year (covered here), and made all the critical changes: removed that top peplum flap thingy, and made it an actual color! Well done. It's definitely a coat that has enough architectural features to stand on its own, so it works quite well at this non-hat occasion. She also added sapphire and diamond earrings, and obviously those make everything better. (And yes, you can actually see them for she has - gasp - worn her hair up. All the way up. Let's call it the Hallelujah Ponytail.)

The coat is from Alexander McQueen, a custom combination of retail styles. She's also wearing a commemorative poppy pin for remembrance on her shoulder, as did others.

So which royal wore it better, do ya think? Going with the Duchess, myself.

Yes, in addition to the red Catherine Walker coat and oh-so-Jackie-O matching Gina Foster pillbox hat, the Duchess borrowed a very appropriate bit of bling from the Queen's vault: the New Zealand Fern Brooch, which you can read more about at the Jewel Vault. Unlike, say, the Maple Leaf Brooch, this one doesn't have a history of loans, so this is a bit special. The tour doesn't have a lot of opportunities for formal jewelry built in, but it will be nice to see if she brings out any other surprises.

P.S. This is a double post day, keep scrolling!P.P.S.: This blog is taking a couple days off and returning on Thursday, but the Jewel Vault will still be updated in the meantime.Photo: @ClarenceHouse/Stuff screencap

The King and Queen of Sweden made an official visit to the Netherlands.

This is "only" an official visit, the type of which would typically warrant a black tie dinner rather than full white tie with orders, and might be an occasion to skip the tiaras. But these kids busted out the full show for us because they remembered they're royal and they can, and we thank them profusely, don't we? We do.

Queen Máx repeated a Jan Taminiau gown from her 40th birthday celebrations, to which she's added a belt (a much-needed change, if you ask me). She accessorized with her favorite Diamond Bandeau, and showed off her jewel creativity yet again by adding a citrine brooch to the center of a previously sapphire brooch. The color scheme played perfectly off of the yellow and blue of her sash, Sweden's Order of the Polar Star, a lesser order which she has had for a few years now. She'll probably one day be upgraded to the highest order, the Order of the Seraphim (as seen on her husband and Princess Beatrix), but that's something more suited to a proper state visit. Everyone here was wearing previously awarded decorations. During Day 1 she also repeated the outfit she wore to Princess Ariane's christening, which would be amazing if it didn't look so much like a tin man in need of a tailor.

Queen Sil repeated a red gown that will force me to repeat my figure skater comparison. She paired this with the Connaught Diamond Tiara, and the Order of the Netherlands Lion (her husband was decked out in the same) (same order, that is, not same tiara) (although I would pay to see that). Queen Princess B was lovely in lavender and her favorite tiara, Queen Emma's Diamond Tiara. Sparkles and lovelies all around, but Queen Máx reigns over them all. That's a tough color scheme to make work, that butterscotch color, but it's a wonderful combo with the blue of the sash and she comes through with flying colors, no?

04 April 2014

Crown Princess Victoria wore a custom Elie Saab gown in beige silk with embroidered and beaded details on the bust and sleeves to the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony in 2010. She also wore the Cut Steel Tiara.

Bit of a dismal run from Victoria in the current events department lately. Dismal bordering on disastrous, occasionally. And I've had a few requests to pull something, anything, out of the archives to remind us of the full force of her sartorial power. So here we go, one of the all-time bests.

Video: Victoria at the Nobel dinner

It's the best outing of the Cut Steel Tiara I can think of, and it gives me an opportunity to once again post an enlightening video - you might not guess that a tiara with no diamonds or other gemstones could possess such sparkle. I can only imagine that the gown was made specifically to accompany the Cut Steel Tiara, because it is a perfect modern interpretation of the type of dress that was the fashion in the Napoleonic era, when the tiara was crafted. Victoria has worn this dress again, but this appearance remains the gold standard.

03 April 2014

Princess Benedikte - daughter of King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark, sister to Queen Margrethe and Greece's Queen Anne-Marie - wears a couple of tiaras with ties to her own royal history, but this classic diamond fringe comes from her husband's German family. It was a wedding present from Richard, the 4th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, to his bride Princess Madeleine of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (1885-1976), for their 1905 nuptials. Made by the noted German jeweler Koch, it shares the classic fringe design - derived from Russian traditional kokoshnik headdresses - with plenty of other tiaras. This one is distinctive by the small size of the diamond spikes placed between the tallest diamond posts. Like many other fringe tiaras, it can also be worn as a necklace.

Princess Benedikte

The tiara was apparently left by Princess Madeleine to her grandson Prince Richard, who is Princess Benedikte's husband (they married in 1968). By the time Madeleine died in 1976, her son and the 5th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Gustav Albrecht, was gone, and Richard was officially the Head of the House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, so skipping a generation makes some sense. (Gustav Albrecht was went missing in action in 1944 and was legally declared dead in 1969.)

Princess Benedikte tends to choose this tiara for the biggest events she attends, things like Queen Margrethe's jubilee, Crown Prince Frederik's wedding, Crown Princess Victoria's wedding, and the weddings of her own daughters. Of course, these are usually the events that her children attend as well, and so her other tiaras are often on loan with this one kept for herself. It's an important piece and one that happens to suit her exceptionally well - the great thing about the classic fringe design is that it is almost universally flattering, but on some people it really shines, and Benedikte is one.

Video: Crown Princess Mary has been visiting Estonia, where they use the "Free from Bullying" program put out by her foundation. She wore this gray suit with tall black Prada boots for some of the events.

Here's what I appreciate about Mary: even when the outfit is pretty basic, she manages to get at least some point of interest in there. This gray outfit? Well, it's gray. Gray and black. Sort of boring by nature. But then you see the swing of the skirt, that slight fullness, and it makes sense. (Also, she looks toasty warm, and I'm sort of envying her coziness.)

02 April 2014

Queen Máxima, along with the King and Princess Beatrix, attended a dinner for the inauguration committee. She wore a repeated J. Mendel dress from the Resort 2010 collection.

This is a really gorgeous dress and an unusual designer choice for Máx, but it's fantastic. Unfortunately she managed to cover up the best bit - that gorgeous draping around the waist that makes it clear it's a design feature and not just an empire waist - with her wrap, so let's just collectively pretend that's not there.

The Belgians hosted a state visit from China. To the state banquet, Queen Mathilde wore a repeated blue Natan gown and the bandeau from the Nine Provinces Tiara.

This isn't even an April Fools' Day joke: Belgium actually held a tiara event! It's been a looooong time. They haven't had a full scale state visit complete with state banquet for quite a while - government problems will do that to you (minor details, ahem). But Mathilde's bringing it back in a big way, essentially repeating the successful look and color combination from her first official portrait as queen but swapping in the similarly colored gown she wore in Luxembourg in 2012. That portrait was my best of the year for her in 2013, and just donning a tiara at home at all automatically puts this appearance in the running for this year's bests. Deeelightful. Click here for a video (which also shows Princess Astrid, the king's sister, in her tiara.) Click here for a gallery.

Princess Astrid (wearing the Savoy-Aosta Tiara) and Queen Mathilde at the banquet; Mathilde's tiara plus the gown's previous appearance and those official portraits

Mathilde was pure elegance at the welcome ceremony as well, click here for that - and thank the Shoe Gods she gave us some interest instead of going with natural instinct for more solid blue!